Maximum Guide to Maximum Ride
by independentwriter-137
Summary: You've seen the cliches, the Mary Sues and Gary Stus, the text talk grammar, it's all covered here in this little helpful guide to help you make a better fanfic and an overall better author.
1. Mary Sues and Gary Stus

_**Lesson 1: Mary Sues and Gary Stus**_

You've seen it, the beautiful girl with a tragic background who only wants the best for everyone, the extremely handsome boy who doesn't know it and just so happens to fall for said girl. The girl with every power in the book and yet struggles with her sucky life, the boy who's always telling joke and making others smile even though he's wrestling with indecision and self-doubt.

Sound familiar? Well, these are what we call Mary Sues and Gary Stus. They're everywhere on Fanfiction and most of their creators probably don't even realize it.

In this lesson we will learn how to recognize a classic Mary Sue and Gary Stu. Now, if you've created a character for your own story or for an SYOC, here's a good way to tell if you've created a good character or those annoying little Mr. and Mrs. Perfect.

1) Incredibly beautiful/handsome but doesn't know it.

-This is incredibly common. The girl with stunning big doe eyes you can get lost in and long wavy hair that shines like silk. Okay maybe that's a little extreme but not untrue. Make your character believable, no one, and I repeat, NO ONE is that beautiful and even if they are, you'll know it. Denying it just makes you seem like an arse. Humanize them; they're not supposed to be flawless.

2) Has a tragic background yet only wants to make people smile.

-Another common one. The seemingly perfect guy has a secret, tragic past that pains him deeply God forbid anyone find out. He only wants to make people feel good even though he doesn't because he's just so saintly that way. WRONG! If your past was really that bad then it would reflect on who you are now, it's unavoidable. Hints of your trouble will always poke through—no matter how strong you are.

3) Incredibly powerful.

-Pretty self-explanatory. You've seen them; I've seen them, OCs with so many powers that you need more toes and fingers to count them all. Let's get something straight: there is no character that powerful okay? No matter how much you want them to be.

4) Never makes mistake.

-Nobody's perfect, yet some OCs seem to be. They always know exactly what to do and leave everyone wondering exactly how they pulled it off. Let them do some things wrong, make bad choices because that's what really happens. You don't always make the right decisions so neither should they.

5) Multiple DNA combinations.

-A lot of characters have more than three mutations. Some people seem to think that the more the merrier applies to everything. Well not in mutations, yes they're cool but have you ever heard of 'too much of anything is bad?' If you have almost 5 other types of DNA in your character then they should be barely human at that point which I highly doubt you want.

5) Based on you.

-Most authors here on Fanfiction want to include themselves in the story one way or another, I do too, but some authors modify themselves. By modify, I mean make themselves so impressive that even Max herself is on her knees begging for their help to save the world. It's true! While, yes, you have every right to include yourself in the story that doesn't mean you should make it revolve around you or your OC for that matter. People read fanfics for the characters they grew to love in the books, not to read about you. It may sound harsh but it's true. You can give you or your OC a small role or even a secondary one but don't go making yourself better than the Flock or whatnot. It's not going to happen, okay?

Okay, there are loads more but I think I've got enough for now. Now take a look at your story, whether it's an All-Human or with powers, and look at your characters. Do you recognize them here? If you do the change them! Humanize them! Give them flaws! Let them make mistakes! Don't let them be perfect in every way possible. Make them do something stupid, let them be yelled at, get in trouble, whatever because in real life I bet _you_ don't do everything right. Before you make a character do anything, ask yourself: is this something you would do? That's a good way to incorporate yourself in the story, make your characters make mistakes that you yourself would make. That's a good character, one that's believable and maybe even the kind we would want to root for.

You're character(s) is one of the most important elements in a story. Without good characters you won't have a good story. It's as simple as that; and Mary Sues and Gary Stus are definitely not good characters. They're a major turn off in a story and makes readers click the exit button. This doesn't only apply to Maximum Ride fanfiction though, it applies to any story you write. Make sure your characters are human (or as human as they can get in Maximum Ride.)

There you have it, a guide through your Mary Sues and Gary Stus. I sincerely hope it help improves your characters.

_**Next lesson: Flames and Constructive Criticism**_

**Sincerely yours,**

**Indy**


	2. Flames and Constructive Criticism

_**Response to reviews:**_

_**Whisper13: Your character doesn't seem too much like a Mary Sue but I always think that whenever someone includes one of the Flock characters in their character's history as someone who changed only around them a little border on Mary Sue. And also when I say second or minor role, I meant as in that the Flock is included in the story and yet your character is suddenly also the center of attention. If it's an all OC story then there's really no problem.**_

_**Dani: That's fine! If it's based your experiences or life then that's perfectly fine; most novels are often based on the author's experiences. As for being OOC, well that depends. Since they weren't raised in the School like in the books then of course we expect them to be a little different. As long as Fang doesn't go declaring his love for Max to the world or Max wanting to go for makeovers then it shouldn't be too much of a problem.**_

_**Maximumrain3: Well, I guess I see your point. Like some people who are abused and such might not see that but some OCs are all like "I look beautiful? No way, I'm as ugly as a donkey!" No matter how many people tell them otherwise and it gets annoying at times, sort of like when a really smart kid complains about getting an A-. And thank you, I work hard on my grammar!**_

_**Lesson 2: Flames and Constructive Criticism**_

As Fanfiction often tells us, the best reward to an author is to leave them a review. We authors work hard to give you stories and spend hours (and maybe even days) on them, so the least you can do it give a few minutes to write a review.

However, I'm sure you've come across a story or two that isn't too good. I ask you to please not ignore them because it is also your job as a reader to help an author improve. How can an author ever know what's wrong if you don't tell them?

That's where flames and constructive criticism comes in. Some of you might not be able to tell the difference but let me tell you, there _is_ a big difference between the two.

Often flames look like this: "Oh my effing God! Get off Fanfiction because your story sucks! Delete this write now because it burns my eyes!"

Now if you notice, the flamer didn't _tell _the other what was wrong. Was it the grammar? The plot? The characters? I don't know; your guess is as good as mine. Flames are just mean, they make you feel bad, and leave you wondering where exactly you went wrong. However, if you use _constructive criticism_ you'll actually be helping the author out.

For example: "I didn't like it because I felt they were too OOC. I just can't picture Max doing that, consider looking back at the books and remember what Max is like." or "You misspelled the word 'façade' and you spelled it 'fasad.' Maybe you should get a spellcheck or use MS Word to help you out there."

See? Here you are able to point out to the author what's wrong so they have a chance to fix it. And also, when you criticize, always, ALWAYS find something in their work to praise. They worked hard on the chapter so at least give them some credit.

Another thing to remember when giving constructive criticism, never cuss. Cussing is pointless in these things; they just inflict more pain than necessary. Honestly, is there really a difference between saying 'You have bad grammar' and 'Your grammar is f***ing horrible." The latter is just to be meaner, which is something you do not want. Have you ever heard of the golden rule of Confucius?

Also, to the authors who receive these flames or constructive criticism: take it in stride. Don't get mad or feel sad or disappointed and especially don't give up. We all start somewhere; you can't expect to be superb right away. Take the advice and you it to your advantage. Be thankful that someone cared enough to help you with your writing.

In my opinion though, I think these kinds of reviews are actually more meaningful then those saying "OMG! OMG! I lurve this sooo much!" You know why? Because they help you improve, which is what we all want.

When I open my email I always appreciate those with meaningful reviews instead of text talk because text talk just shows you don't have the time to type it in proper grammar and spelling, but that's another lesson for another time.

_**Next Lesson: The Attack of Clichés**_

_**-Indy**_


	3. The Attack of the Cliches!

_**Response to Reviews:**_

_**CallMeSmart: Who do I think I am? I think I'm Indy—a reader and a writer who isn't afraid to write what I think and who certainly isn't affected by you. I agree with you; I am like the rest of you because I read and I write and I'm sure I work just as hard as you guys do. You're also right that I'm not a published author, but that's because I'm still a kid—not because I don't have any writing talent. But you are wrong when you say I have no right; have you ever heard of free speech? I'm not making you listen to me and I don't claim to be better than you, but I **_**am**_** someone who wants to help improve fanfics out there. If you disagree with me, then disagree, because everyone has their opinions. By the way, you just did a flame since you didn't tell me what exactly you think is wrong in what I did. Consider reading chapter 2 of this little story, unless you think that's crap too.**_

_**Davy-Jones's-Locker: Hm, well it depends on you. If they have Sue-ish qualities then that might be a problem and you probably shouldn't take them, but it also comes down to how you portray them. If you ask permission from the creator to tweak it here and there, and they say yes, then the character should be fine. However if the creator says no, then probably don't accept.**_

_**InvaderVyn: Her personality is a bit cliché but I think it's okay since I actually know a lot of real people who are like that too.**_

_**Dancingonmytoes13: Thank you! I've always had trouble with grammar, especially when I was just starting out. Ugh, you should have seen how bad it was back then. I always appreciate people telling me where I went wrong!**_

_**MydniteShadow1996: Don't feel bad, your reviews are fine. What I meant was that if you spot a mistake, don't be afraid to tell the author because in the end it's those reviews that mean more. Most authors (though some authors don't feel the same) still appreciate it when you say that you like their stories—I know I do.**_

_**The others: I'm glad you all found it helpful; that was my main goal. I'm happy you enjoyed it!**_

_**Lesson 3: The Attack of the Clichés!**_

One of the main things you don't want in a story is a cliché. These are over-used plot lines, way too obvious characters, the ending everyone can predict. Clichés are boring and annoying, especially if you know it's a cliché and yet you use it anyway.

I hear (or read, rather) a lot of people saying "I know it's cliché, but mine is different I swear!" Funny, they all say it's different, and yet they're all so strikingly similar; I wonder how that happened? The truth is probably only 5% of cliché stories are actually different; the problem is that everyone thinks they're in that five percent. I always wonder though, why can't they just come up with their own ideas? Recently, I think I've come to the answer: because they think that that's what you want to read.

To authors who write these clichés and they know it: people want to read more original fanfics; the kind that make you go "Whoa, I never saw that coming!" They want to see stories that actually have to make you think; the kind that make you stay up at night because you're wondering what's going to happen next. Maybe that was a little dramatic, but it's true.

If you know how a story's going to end, and you know how everything's going to happen, then what's the point of reading? It's like reading the same story over and over again, and soon it gets boring. Personally, I like stories that keep me guessing—that have a real plot that's been thought out. I don't like it when author's steal other author's ideas. It's like writer's code, you don't do it; it's just wrong. And those are what clichés are, reused, copied, stolen ideas.

Maybe some of you are thinking: is my story cliché? Well here are some ways to tell.

_If it's a high school fic:_

-Max is the new girl. Fang's popular. He falls for her because she's so different.

-Max is a nerd, Fang's a jock. Then again with the falling in love thing.

-Partners in a project

-Mortal enemies

-Max cuts herself

-Fang or Max is abused

-Lissa's a slut

-Brigid's a creepy cougar

-Max doesn't believe in love, Fang changes that.

-Max is a new girl who amazingly catches almost every boy's attention.

I could go on and on, but I suggest you take a look at my other story, _Ultimate Cliché of a MR High School._ A lot of the stuff is in there.

_If it's about the Flock, with wings:_

-A new member comes in, kicks Max out.

-A new girl comes, makes Iggy see because of love.

- Again with new girl, steals Fang from Max.

-Angel gets even more powerful.

-Max gets pregnant.

-Max gets pregnant and leaves.

-Max gets pregnant and Fang leaves.

-Iggy wakes up with his eyesight back.

There are so many of these fics! It's crazy! While I applaud those who first came up with is, I'm annoyed with those who used it again. And again. And again.

If you realized that your fic is a cliché then here are some things you can do next time. Think of a plot, as in really think about it, don't just wake up one day and go "Ooh, I wanna make me a fanfiction!" You have to think about what you want the premise to be, where you want to go, and how you're going to get there. Make it as original as you can. If you know that the idea is not yours, then don't do it. Make a fic that will make you feel proud once it's done; a fic that'll make you say "That story? Yeah, it's mine, all mine."

The thing with fanfiction is that it's like training and practice to when you might become a real author someday. It exercises creativity and writing skills. If you're an aspiring writer, how will you be able to write your own book if all you're used to are the cliché plots? That'll be all you know how to write, if that's all you write now. So before you write a fic, spot if it's a cliché first, and if it is, then don't do it. Think of something else; something you can call your own because at the end of the day, it's those fics that make you a better writer—not the clichés.

_**Next lesson: You decide between 'The Dilemma of OOCness' or 'Text Talk Grammar'**_

_**-Indy**_


	4. The Dilemma of OOCness

_**Response to Reviews:**_

_**WingedArcher1: Hm, well I'm not really sure there. There aren't really that many Iggy and Ella fics out there, and when there are they're mostly a secondary romance to Max and Fang. Fortunately though, the ones that I have read don't really follow that many clichés, except maybe making Ella into Cinderella and them being partners in a project. Aside from that, I think the Eggy section is mainly cliché free.**_

_**FangandIggyRule: I think that that's actually the reason Mary Sues came to be. People who are flawed want to be flawless, or at least an enhanced version of themselves, which is why they created Mary Sues. However, if you keep in those flaws they shouldn't be too much of a problem. Also, yes the girl who gets both Iggy and Fang is a cliché. Lastly, I think that if you put in your story that it's cliché then you're not the one who started it. You can probably tell when a story's publishing date is the earliest and they don't say that it's a cliché, because if they really did start it, then it wouldn't be a cliché yet at the time.**_

_**Erin319: Well, the Flock going to a normal school is a cliché plot line, but the part where someone from Itex recognizes them is different. Try to make it as original as possible, don't use any other plot lines you see in a similar story or else that'll make it doubly cliché. Just do your best to write in the most original way possible and maybe you'll be in that 5%.**_

_**Sierra156: It's okay if that's what you want to write, I guess. I admit that even I can't help but use those little clichés like Lissa being a slut, but mostly because there isn't that many other characters to choose from and I don't particularly like using OCs. I'd also noticed CallMeSmart isn't the best in grammar; maybe he/she/it should stay tuned for a future grammar chapter.**_

_**..Blonde: The same thing happened to me before! My story Meet the Great Maximum Ride: Singing Sensation had a similar story done soon after it was becoming successful. One of my reviewers told me about it and I decided to tell the author. You should do the same, either by PM or review, but you should tell them. They should know that they took your idea, whether they know it or not.**_

_**The High-Fives for Nothing: I don't know; the plot of Max and Fang being best friends is cliché, but that's how it is in the books so I always let that one slide. It all depends on how you portray Lissa and Brigid; it also matter how you tell the story. If the flow of the story is also one that's been used before then you've got a cliché on your hands.**_

_**The others: Thank you so much for the appreciation! I'm glad you like it and that I manage to get my point across through humour and not through being mean. I also like the fact that you guys give me suggestions on how to improve the guide because I also want to make my works the best that they can be.**_

_**(By popular decision)**_

_**Lesson 4: The Dilemma of OOCness**_

This is probably the hardest part in Fanfiction because keeping our beloved Flock in character is not easy. I don't know anyone who hasn't had trouble with this—including me. As I read through Fanfiction though, I noticed some characters are more out of character than others.

Here's an example:

_Max stared into his onyx eyes. His long black hair had bangs that fell perfectly over his eyes, and his muscles showed through his t-shirt. She could have turned to Jell-O right there and then, she had never seen someone so, so perfect. Shaking her head, she snapped herself out of the trance and wiped the corner of her mouth to make sure she wasn't drooling._

"_Hi," he said in a quiet, deep voice._

"_Ljgdis—" Usually Max didn't get tongue tied around boys but he was just so hot. She could've fainted right there._

I'm going to stop right there because it sickens it me to write that. And that my dear readers, it just the tip of the ice berg. Now, I understand that Max and the others didn't grow up in the School in all-human fics, and that entitles you to some leeway in the OOC department, but never in a million years would Max be all "Oh, first sight and I'm in love!" It's not going to happen; Max is more of the type to fall gradually. She won't be drooling over Fang, no matter how hot he is. Also, in some fics, Max loved wearing skirts, make up, and stuff like that. Nu-uh, never going to happen; Max is a tomboy and always will be. In one fic I ever read this: "I loved Nudge's outfit; it was totally cute! But the thing I loved best were the shoes!" and then she goes on about what kinds of shoes Nudge was wearing and how cute they were. That is not Max, it may look like Max, it might say it's Max, but that is not Max. She's just not into stuff like that; if you don't like it like that, then don't use her. Max is sarcastic, a feminist, a tomboy, a kick-ass leader, daring, strong, and hates getting emotional; keep that in mind while writing her.

Another thing that I see all too often: Fang's supposedly a silent rock, yet he seems to announce his love for Max quite a lot. In some fics, he talks way too much. Yes, again he didn't grow up in the School so he probably talks a bit more, but in some stories it's like a guy version of Nudge—which is just wrong. Fang is strong, quiet, protective, sarcastic, and a bit of a know it all; that's Fang, not the strange Fang 2 I see in some fics.

Iggy is another character people get wrong sometimes. Yes, he does make sexist jokes, and yes, he is a bit perverted, but he doesn't make those kinds of remarks in every other sentence! Jeez, some people make him sound like some prick that can't get laid. Iggy's funny, loves to joke around, a pyro, probably the class clown if he was in school; he's not the douche he is in some stories.

And Lissa and Brigid, they're not sluts. If you're like me, then you make them that way because you've seen it in so many fics that you got used to it. Yes, I am guilty of this for my last story. However, I realized that Lissa and Brigid didn't exactly do anything wrong besides like Fang, because honestly, who doesn't? Lissa was just the girl who kissed Fang; don't hate on her for it. Lately, I've been portraying Lissa in a more positive light, mostly because I realized that making her a slut is making her OOC. Brigid is not a slut either, so don't make her one. You might not like the fact that in the book she's like seven years older than Fang and yet she's hitting on him (Lord knows I hate her for that) but she never did anything slutty. Aside from being sluts, I don't think Lissa and Brigid can really be OOC because they're not exactly a focus of the book, therefor we don't really know what they're like.

To all the authors reading this and think that maybe their character is OOC, then I suggest you pause and think about the character's really hard before you go on.

Max isn't going to go boy crazy or love clothes, and shopping, and make up.

Fang isn't going to talk like there's no tomorrow, or announce his love for anything.

Iggy isn't a sick jerk who makes a sexist comment in every other sentence.

Lissa and Brigid aren't sluts.

The other members of the Flock though, seem in character for the most part and I don't think they have an issue. The characters above however, need some work in some stories.

Remember, you can't change a character to suit your story better; I mean that if you don't like the way the characters are in the books, then why do you use them?

The OOCness might be unintentional; a lot of times they are, but we should always take every precaution to make sure they aren't. They don't have to be perfect, that's something only JP can do, but we should at least do our best to keep them as in character as possible. The reason we use these characters is because we like them the way in the books, so keep them that way.

This is probably one of the hardest lessons, and I hope I explained it well, but if there's anything unclear or what not, then feel free to ask through review or PM.

_**Next Lesson: Text Talk Grammar, oh the horror!**_

_**-Indy**_


	5. Text Talk Grammar oh the horror!

_**Response to Reviews:**_

_**Faye: I don't know if you're going to see this or not, but I'll reply anyway. First, thanks for your opinion; you have a lot of good points. I guess what I'm saying is that I get that most of us on Fanfiction are kids; and I get that their writing won't be all that great yet, nor will their grammar, but that's not my point. My point is that ever since I was 8, I knew I wanted to write, so I did. You probably wouldn't believe the crap I came up with, but I wrote in anyway because I thought it was good. My writing went on like that until I was thirteen years old, then I found an article (here's the link .com/2006/04/27/10-things-teenage-writers-should-know-about-writing/) which is way worse than what I'm doing now. Anyway, my writing only started to improve once I knew what was wrong with it. I was like, 'Jeez, writing stories for five years, and I only improve now,' and it was only because of that article that I really started to grow. Maybe it's not like that with everyone, but I wished I had read the article when I was younger; I wished I had something to nudge me in the right direction. I'm sorry if I sound condescending; truly I am, and I'll try to lighten up a bit, but I'll stand by what I wrote. I'll be the first to admit that kids won't write like Jane Austen or anyone as awesome as that, but the point is to let them know what's wrong so one day they will be as good. Also, I'll admit that my grammar or spelling or writing isn't flawless—I'm still growing myself; I point out things to you guys, and you point things out to me too, so we all basically help each other. About the other things like the planning out your story, well maybe that's what works with the author of Dorm Ride but it doesn't work with a lot of us. Look at professional authors! They have trouble with that too, so they plan their stories out. If writing where the story works for you, then go ahead, as long as it makes you write well, then do it. Besides, they write clichés because that's what they know, right? So that's why clichés have to be lessened, so that future fanfics writers don't fall into that habit too. You do have a point though; there are some pretty good cliché fics out there, like the fic Perfect. Well, I think that's all. Feel free to tell me if you have any other problems with this, though. Oh, and you put quotations on the word flame; so I must ask, what's your definition of a flame? Just saying you don't like something without saying why? Well, whatever your opinion is, opposing or not, I'm glad to hear it. I hope you point out anything else you don't like.**_

_**Kyo Kun 4ever: I'm sorry, but I don't read anime. Even if I read your story I wouldn't be much help, sorry!**_

_**D: Well, I think that's okay so far! I've heard of camp stories before but they're all pretty different.**_

_**Allie Knight: You're welcome!**_

_**BlackAngelOfDarkness: The girl might be one, if she's the pretty, happy, and everyone loves kind of person. Leo's fine, I think. As long as they have flaws, it shouldn't be too much of a problem.**_

_**The High-Fives for Nothing: You can make her sleazy if you want too, as long as she isn't a slut.**_

_**Others: I'm glad you all find it helpful, that's my main goal!**_

_**Lesson 5: Text Talk Grammar (oh the horror!)**_

The reason I won't do a chapter on just grammar is because I don't want to be a hypocrite, and as Faye pointed out; a lot of haven't really let our grammar lessons sink in yet. I know my grammar isn't the best out there, and I know I'm nowhere near perfect grammar yet so it's only fair that I don't give you a lesson on that.

I will, however, address the problem of _text talk_ grammar. U noe, wen ppl typ like dis. 4 dose of u who do typ like dis, i'm sori if it offends u, but u seriosly nid 2 fix it. You see, when people or you pick up a book from the shelves and see it's written in text talk, they probably won't read it; same goes for Fanfiction. Type/write it like you would see in a real book, the grammar doesn't have to be perfect, but it does have to be formal, if you catch my drift.

The text talk is distracting, if you're using it as a shortcut and for convenience, then I hate to break it to you, but your plot and characters can be spectacular—worth publishing even—but if that's the way you write it, then people won't give it a chance.

Grammar's hard, there's no way around that, I'd be surprised if you were thirteen with perfect grammar, but if you're thirteen, I would also be surprised if you're typing your stories like that. Text talk is for one thing and one thing only, texting. You can use those text shortcuts as much as you want when you text, but I'm begging you, please don't use it in your stories. While in texts it's acceptable, it's not here. Fanfiction is a place for you to grow as an author, especially if that's what you want to be someday, and I don't want you getting used to writing like that. It's annoying and a big turn off.

We authors put a lot of effort into our writing, and it's not that hard to put in a little more by writing properly. Typing two or more letters than you would through shortcuts isn't that hard.

However, I'm glad to say I don't see much of this in the Maximum Ride archive so everyone clap for that! If you are one of those people who write like that, then fix it; it'll really improve your writing, I promise.

This lesson is the shortest by far, mostly because it's pretty straight forward, and there's no point going around in circles to say the same things. My main point is this: your grammar doesn't have to be perfect, as long as it's…proper? Is that a good word for it? Yeah, as long as it's proper, because trust me, I'll drastically improve your writing!

_**Last Lesson: Plot and Plot holes**_

_**Okay, this guide is only meant to have six chapters so the next will be that last. However, I might add a few lessons here and there in the future if there are any other basic problems that you might want covered. I won't nit-pick on small problems since we're all basically teens and preteens here, so our writing shouldn't be perfect yet, and even if it should be, I shouldn't be the one to talk seeing as my grammar and spelling isn't perfect and all. If there's anyone else who doesn't like the guide like Faye, the feel free to tell me, I like hearing your opinions whether they agree with me or not.**_

_**-Indy**_


	6. Plot and Plot Holes

_**Response to Reviews:**_

_**Faye: Oh don't worry about the 6 chapters things; it was part of the original plan, but if the other readers ask for any other lessons to be covered, it might extend a bit. I'll try to keep things light and playful like you said =)**_

_**The High-Fives for Nothing: Yeah, if they're meant to be texting in the story then they can text talk all they want. And I forgot to mention you've got a cool username.**_

_**Sierra156: Ngawww, thanks for complementing my grammar; it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, haha. And I agree with you that when people drag their words out it's annoying.**_

_**Sgt. Sporky: I totally agree, Twilight is one of the few books I regret reading; heck I didn't make it through half. I hate it when people just throw the importance of a plot away just so two people can live happily ever after. Nice food analysis, by the way!**_

_**KAT: Well in the rules it says you have to be at least thirteen to sign up for an account, but I never quite understood why. I guess it's so that some stories with inappropriate content can't be accidentally read by a kid and Fanfiction can't be sued for corruption of minors, but then regardless of whether you have an account or not you can read the stories. I do think it's best though to wait for your 13**__**th**__** birthday before you sign up.**_

_**Knight Mistress: I know that feeling of finding grammar mistakes after you posted the chapter or whatever. Oh and thank you! I'm glad you find it awesome!**_

_**Fnick Girl: Well the part about Max being pregnant and Fang leaving to protect them is cliché, but the part about the baby dying is not.**_

_**MydniteShadow1996: Luckily, not yet. I've seen summaries in text talk, but no full stories in the MR archive. I can't say the same for some other books' fanfics though; I've actually seen one in the Percy Jackson archive, it was nasty.**_

_**Lesson 6: Plot and Plot Holes**_

The plot is one of the primary elements to a story; you can't have a story with no plot, that's impossible. Some of you might think that coming up with a plot is easy, but the truth is it's not. Coming up with an idea for a story is different from coming up with a plot. When you come up with a plot, you have to know how to start it, how you want it to end, and how you're going to get there.

Here's an example based on The Angel Experiment:

Idea: A book about kids with wings on the run from crazy scientists on the run.

Plot: Max and the Flock live in an E-shaped house in the mountains of Colorado. One day, Angel is kidnapped as the Flock is attacked by Erasers, deadly half-men and half-wolf creatures; the Flock embark on a rescue mission to save Angel.

When you write a story or a book, it always helps to have a basic idea of what you're doing. Try writing one of those summaries like you do for book reports. Don't worry about too much detail, that you make up as you go along, but at least think of a start and an end. That way, you don't go writing blindly without knowing where you're going. You see, I always find that those cool stories with plot twists that leave you with your mouth open are often those that are able to plant those plot twists because they have an idea how they want things to play out.

This might not be true for all authors though, some find it easier to come up with an idea and just keep moving forward like that. My advice is that you should try both, find out which works for you best because in the end that's what matters. Planning the story out though, is an excellent way to keep writer's block away.

Anyway, moving on to the other part of the lesson: plot holes. Once you've written a story you've got to keep it consistent.

Plot holes are basically inconsistencies in a story; they're things that go against logic and your basic story line. Have you ever had moments where you watch a TV show regularly but miss an episode or two and go "Wow, how the H E double hockey sticks did that happen?" Well plot holes are like that. Events or fact that go against the story or unexplained occurrences that leaves people scratching their heads/

For example, let's say in your previous chapter you wrote that Max was in California, you can't go changing your mind later on in the story and go, "Whoops! Did I say California? I meant Arizona." Another example is this: Max slipped and broke her leg in one chapter, then next thing you know she's good as new without any explanation. You have to keep things consistent with your story line, and you should never just go from one event to another without any explanation.

A good tip is to look back at your story from time to time to make sure you don't change anything by accident. Like you said Max couldn't sing in one chapter, make sure she doesn't get up on stage and sing her heart out (unless Max is drunk, which would be pretty funny to see.) Always watch out for little things like that because your readers will notice.

Once, I accidentally put Fang's last name as Ride and also made Max's last name Ride, then one reviewer told me that the chances of two people, who are complete strangers, with the same last name will ever meet, much less fall in love. I was like "FAIL!" That was a major plot hole right there.

The best thing to do with plot holes is to reread your story and make sure that your future chapters are *all together now* CONSISTENT!

If you do spot a plot hole in your story then fix it, no matter how far you've gone since the plot hole. The readers won't appreciate the fact that you get those things wrong in your own story, so put it in an author's note or something that you changed whatever.

You are now on your final lesson (unless there's any other stuff you guys want me to cover) and I hope you learned some stuff from it! I hope I did a good job of explaining everything and that I've helped you in any way whatsoever.

_**As I said, this is the last lesson but if you guys have any other things you want covered then I might add a chapter or two. We'll see, but I will update this chapter and add responses to your reviews below (assuming there's anything to respond too.)**_

_**-Indy**_


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